Ondo 2020: Banji Okunomo emerges choice of Ilaje LGA as sole governorship aspirant of PDP

Not less down 21 members of the Executive members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State appended their signatures in an endorsement paper in support of Banji Ben Okunomo, popularly known as BBO, as their sole governorship aspirant from the Local Government ahead of the party’s primary as the State prepares for its gubernatorial election in October 10, this year.

Okunomo was announced the choice of Ilaje Local Government Council as sole governorship aspirant of the PDP from the Southern Senatorial District of the State in a resolution signed by 21 local government executive members of the Party in Ilaje LGA of Ondo State.

“The Oil rich Ilaje local government from the Southern District of Ondo State cannot afford to lose the opportunity of producing the next governor of Ondo State after we waited endlessly on all the governorship aspirants to step down for themselves and pick one person as the sole governorship aspirant of our party from the local government,” the Chief Scribe of the Party in Ilaje local government, Banjo Ikuenogbon, who spoke on behalf of the 21 Excos, told Starnews NG in a telephone interview on Wednesday afternoon.

The resolution dated May 6, 2020, was made available to newsmen in Akure, Ondo State Capital.

Starnews NG reports that Ilaje local government council has a thirty-member elected PDP executive, with eighteen persons as the elected local government Excos and twelve persons as the elected Ward Chairmen representing the council.

The fates of all the four PDP governorship aspirants in the local government, Banji Okunomo, Chief Sola Ebiseni, Prince John Ola Mafo and Chief Godday Erewa, were decided by 21 executive members of the party out of 30 members, while the remaining eight others decided to sit on the fence.

Twenty one (21) of them, (11 local government Excos out of 18, and 10 Ward Chairmen out of 12, resolved for Okunomo as the sole governorship aspirant from the local government.

Starnews NG gathered that the incumbent local government chairman of the PDP in Ilaje, pastor Omotehinse Oladipupo, and 8 others, decided to be neutral by not giving their supports to any of the aspirants for reasons best known to them according to the source who hinted our correspondent.

Read the full resolution below:

Resolution By The Party Executives of The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) In Ilaje Local Government To Produce One Governorship Aspirant To Represent The Local Government Ahead of The Party’s Primary In View of The October 10, Governorship Election In Ondo State, Today, May 6, 2020.

In our collective search for a suitable governorship aspirant as our consensus candidate from Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State to represent our Local Government to clinch the ticket of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the October 10, governorship election in Ondo State, the Executives of our party, met today at Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government to take a position.

The decision of the Exco in taking this step is informed by the fact that before the Lock down, the Exco invited all the aspirants to a meeting and advised them to initiate talk among themselves for a possible pruning of the number of those aspiring to be Governor to one or otherwise that the Party would go ahead to do it on their behalf which was agreed to by all.

We noted with surprise that despite the closeness of the election which has spurred our neighbouring competitor into action to prune to one , our own indigenous aspirants remain endlessly disagreeing, hence the need for us to invoke our powers to endorse our preferred choice.

After a critical and dispassionate appraisal of all the PDP governorship aspirants, and their level of preparedness, putting into consideration all the necessary issues , including the analysis of how Ilaje Local Government could produce the candidate of our party, PDP, and to eventually sack the government of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, the meeting resolved as follows:

1. That Banji Ben Okunomo, popularly known as BBO remains the best governorship aspirant of our party in Ilaje Local Government who enjoys overwhelming spread of supports from the members of our party across the 18 local governments of Ondo State.
2. That we note particularly the overwhelming supports, Banji Ben Okunomo, has received not only from the members of the party across the 18 local governments of Ondo State, but we have also considered the supports he has received and still receiving from the leadership of the party in the Southwest and at the National Level.
3. That Banji Ben Okunomo (BBO) is digitally compliant not only with the yearnings and aspirations of the Ilaje Nation to run for the office of the governor of Ondo State but he also meets up with the yearnings and aspirations of contemporary society for the required leadership of inclusivity needed to bridge the gap between the old and the young generation, thus recognising all genders, in taking Ondo State to the next level of greatness.
4. That Banji Ben Okunomo has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he has the required resources, connection, and political weight, needed within and outside Ondo State, not only to win the PDP primary election, but to also win the general election in October 10, this year.
5. It has been established by us that Banji Ben Okunomo (BBO) has already been endorsed by PDP leaders and party executives in more than 11 local governments of Ondo State. We discovered these Local Governments are merely waiting for us to make public pronouncements, while some are waiting for Ilaje Local Government to take a decision in order for them to decide.
6. That we recognise the fact that Okunomo, despite being a young vibrant man, he is capable and experienced enough, politically, technically and commercially to rule Ondo State as the next governor under our party, PDP.
7. Besides choosing Okunomo as mere mortals, God has also chosen him for us in Ilaje Local Government to represent us at the PDP primary.

In consideration of the above and other relevant existential factors pertaining to how we will win the PDP primary and the general election in Ondo State, We therefore, adopt and embrace, Banji Ben Okunomo (BBO), as the consensus candidate of our Local Government ahead of the party’s primary election.

All the delegates, executives and leaders of our party in Ondo State should take cognisance of this fact and see their votes as the most potent tools to elect OKUNOMO as the candidate of the PDP for a better Ondo State.

Signed:

1. Leke Ajimisan, Deputy Chairman of PDP in Ilaje LGA.
2. Evg. Ikunogbon Banjo, Local Government Secretary of PDP, in Ilaje LGA.
3. Omoseyin Okunomo, PDP Youth Leader in Ilaje LGA.
4. Ogungbeje Romance, Assistant Local Government Secretary, Ilaje LGA.
5. Aladetan Olajide Jolaade, PDP Legal Adviser, Ilaje LGA.
6. Com Demehin Akofowo, PDP Local Government Treasurer, Ilaje LGA.
7. Hon. Tunde Ebinwonjumi, PDP Local Government Auditor, Ilaje LGA.
8. Farojoye Oroale, PDP Ex-Officio, Ilaje LGA.
9. Mrs. Omotehinse Duro, PDP Ex-Officio, Ilaje LGA.
10. Mrs Omtehinse Funmilayo, PDP Ex-Officio, Ilaje LGA.
11. David Gbeminiyi, PDP Ex-Officio, Ilaje LGA.
12. Ayetimiyi Oluwadaisi, PDP chairman of Ugbo Ward I, and the chairman of Chairmen of all the wards in Ilaje LGA.
13. Leke Zion, PDP chairman of Ugbo Ward II in Ilaje LGA.
14. Oretan Sunday, PDP chairman of Ugbo Ward III in Ilaje LGA.
15. Bello Godwin, PDP chairman of Ugbo Ward IV in Ilaje LGA.
16. Elumalero Hope Help, PDP chairman of Ugbo Ward V in Ilaje LGA.
17. Omogbemi Olayemi Felix, PDP Chairman of Ugbo Ward VI in Ilaje LGA.
18. Erejuwa Omotere, PDP chairman of Mahin Ward I in Ilaje LGA.
19. Ogungbure Moses, PDP chairman of Mahin Ward II in Ilaje LGA.
20. Tope Odidi, PDP chairman of Mahin Ward III in Ilaje LGA.
21. Ajimisan Johnson PDP Chairman of Etikan Ward in Ilaje LGA.

See the screen shot of the signed resolution: